If anything went in favour of skipper Eoin Morgan in the first match of the tri-series was his fighting hundred, other than that there was nothing for him and England to be proud of at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.
Morgan did score a fighting century, his seventh in the one-day internationals, but he couldn’t avoid his team’s eight wickets win. David Warner, meanwhile, scored his third ODI ton to propel Australia to a well-deserved win in the first game of the series.
Australia chased the target with 61 balls to spare and registered a three-wicket win over England, with James Faulkner and Mitchell Starc remained unbeaten. England never managed to create pressure over the hosts, by posting just 234, batting first.
Morgan elected to bat first on a pitch that looked a belter, but it proved to be a costly decision for England as they lost a couple of wickets in the first over only. Ian Bell and James Taylor were sent packing by Mitchell Starc in the first three balls of the match.
Australia kept on increasing the pressure and were soon rewarded when they got dangerous Joe Root in the fourth over. The George Bailey-led side also got rid of Moeen Ali, who was looking in good touch, in the ninth over.
After losing the top-order inside ten overs there was very little England could have done, but Morgan tried his best to keep his team in the contest. He stitched small-small partnerships with Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan.
The English captain, meanwhile, completed his century but got no support from the other end and was the lone man fighting for the Three Lions. His 56 runs partnership with Jordan helped England cross the 200-run mark but it wasn’t enough.
Starc was the wrecker-in-chief and finished with four, James Faulkner took three, while Pat Cummins and Xavier Doherty took one wicket apiece. Australia missed a couple of run out opportunities; otherwise the total could have been a lot less.
Chasing a moderate total on a flat pitch was never a problem for Australia, despite losing Aaron Finch cheaply, as Warner and Steven Smith made a 87-run partnership for the third wicket to take the game away from the tourists.
